The Homeland Security Department’s embattled inspector general has agreed to pay a whistleblower and former top official $1.17 million as part of a settlement agreement, which will also overturn the employee’s firing.
Jennifer Costello will now be formally noted as resigning from the IG’s office for personal reasons. DHS IG Joseph Cuffari fired the former deputy inspector general after commissioning a $1.4 million third-party investigation into Costello and two of her colleagues, which found she had engaged in divisive and unprofessional behavior.
Costello quickly labeled that investigation as a “farce” that was launched in retaliation to her whistleblower claims that, among other things, Cuffari delayed a report into the Trump administration’s botched handling of its policy to separate migrant children from their families at the southern border. The former deputy IG had brought her complaints to Congress and to the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency in 2019. Cuffari fired her in June 2020.
The settlement, which was agreed to before the Merit Systems Protection Board and brought to light by the Project on Government Oversight, made clear the IG’s office did not admit any guilt or wrongdoing. Costello agreed to withdraw her appeals pending before MSPB as well as other adjudicative forums, including the Office of Special Counsel.
“The agency expressly denies that it, its employees, representatives, or agents violated any law, regulation, contract,...
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